Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Baku 2015 European Games has confirmed the 24 men’s and women’s Volleyball teams that have qualified for next summer’s competition.

Host country Azerbaijan will compete in both tournaments, with Russia ranked as number one seed in both the men’s and women’s qualifying spots.

The other teams qualified in the men’s competition are, in ranked order, Italy, Serbia, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Finland, Belarus, Slovakia and Turkey.

In the women’s competition, the other teams qualified, and also in ranked order, include Serbia, Italy, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Baku 2015 Chief Operating Officer Simon Clegg said: “With Rio 2016 Olympic ranking points available for the European Games, we are assured of all the top teams of Europe taking part in Baku 2015.

“This means increased interest from our television broadcast partners, spectators and Volleyball fans all over Europe.”

Volleyball will be played in the capital city’s Crystal Hall, with 16 days of competition culminating with the two gold medal matches.

President of the European Volleyball Federation Andre Meyer said: “With some of the top teams in Europe now qualified in both the men’s and women’s competitions, we will be guaranteed high-quality action once the European Games gets underway.

“Baku 2015 will represent a real high point in the international Volleyball calendar and we are all looking forward to what will be an exciting inaugural event in Azerbaijan.”

Baku 2015 Director of Sport Pierce O’Callaghan, in turn, congratulated all of the teams who have qualified to represent their nations at the inaugural European Games. “Volleyball is one of the continent’s most popular sports, and it will be fantastic for the Azerbaijan crowds to be able to support their national teams in the wonderful setting of the Crystal Hall and watch elite sport as the teams go for gold,” he said.

Baku will host the first European Games next summer on June 12-28, involving more than 6,000 athletes from the National Olympic Committees of Europe across 17 days of competition, in what will be the largest sporting event in Azerbaijan’s history.